Pongal Recipe, How to Make Ven Pongal, Khara Pongal

Pongal is a South Indian breakfast from Tamil Nadu. A porridge like savoury dish. Rice and moong dal/lentils are cooked and tempered with cumin, pepper, ginger and ghee to make a delicious dish called as Khara Pongal or ven Pongal.

A very quick & easy to make breakfast. I usually make Pongal for breakfast or lunch or dinner when I’m in no mood to cook elaborately & need something quick, easy to make. 5 minutes in the kitchen is all you need to make Pongal.

Follow these exact measurements to make delicious Pongal.

Recipe posted for Preethi & bachelors, every beginner, novice cook in the kitchen. Hope the recipe helps. :) 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup medium grained rice
• 1/3 cup split moong dal 
• 3 tablespoons of ghee
• 1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 inch1-inch ginger
• 3 green chillies
• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
• 2 leaflets of curry leaf
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 1.5 cups of water

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ready In 40 minutes

Preparation Method:

1. Heat up ghee in a pressure cooker. Add in mustard seeds.
2. When they start spluttering, add cumin seeds.
3. When cumin stops spluttering, add finely chopped ginger, slit green chillies, freshly crushed pepper, curry leaves & saute them for 30 seconds.
4. Add turmeric powder & saute for few seconds as turmeric is fat soluble. 
5. Then add water, salt & mix well. Check & adjust salt.
6. Add washed rice grains, split moong dal & mix well.
7. Close the pressure cooker & cook it for 1 whistle. 
8. Once the pressure is released, enjoy steaming hot Pongal. 
9. Rice & split moong dal would be well cooked & mushy, infused well with the flavour of ghee & cumin seasoning. It would be semi-thick in consistency.

Serving suggestions: Serve Pongal steaming hot with ghee on top with a coconut chutney if you wish.

Side Note: 

1. Pongal is also made using dried pieces of coconut, grated coconut, fried cashews.
2. If you’re using grated coconut, dried coconut pieces, mix them in just before serving.
3. If you’re using cashews, fry them in ghee along with green chillies until golden brown in step 3 above.
4. Traditionally whole peppercorns are added instead of crushed pepper to Pongal.
5. You can roast split moong dal before hand for few minutes & use it to make Pongal for added taste. 

Tags: Khara Pongal, ven Pongal, Pongal recipe, South Indian breakfast, bachelor, bachelor recipe, recipe, food, cooking, breakfast recipe, quick recipe, easy recipe, vegetarian.